While Santa may lay claim to a certain date later this month, December 5th belongs to the holiday season's resident demonic entity known as Krampus.
The European folkloric figure said to punish naughty children by beating them with sticks and putting them in a basket for transport to Hell will be celebrated with Krampusnacht parties and festivals around the world this evening.
Banned by the Austrian government in the 1920's and dubbed an 'evil man' in the 1950's, Krampus began making a comeback over the last decade and is now a bonafide holiday fixture for those who embrace the 'anti-Santa.'
As the cult popularity of Krampus has increased, the entity has become the centerpiece of costumed charity runs, creepy greeting cards, and even a feature film in recent years.
While he may never challenge Santa for holiday dominance, Krampus appears poised to continue looming on the periphery, keeping an eye on the boys and girls who misbehaved over the last year.
With that in mind, any parents who find that the Elf of a Shelf is producing diminishing returns might want to considering turning to Krampus to help keep the kids in line until Christmas.
Coast Insiders can celebrate Krampusnacht by checking out artist and author Brom talking about the legend of Krampus on the 12/28/2015 edition of the program as well as lecturer Jeff Belanger discussing the dark holiday tradition on the 12/12/2015 episode.
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